BRISTOL – In an effort to keep motorists informed, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) provides weekly information about highway construction and maintenance projects in southwestern Virginia. When traveling through highway work zones, use caution and be alert to changes in traffic patterns and slow-moving or stopped traffic.

To help motorists take the guesswork out of travel plans, call VDOT’s 511 or visit www.511Virginia.org for real-time traffic information.

Underlined entries with asterisks (***) indicate the listing is new or the status of the project has changed since last week’s traffic alert.

INTERSTATE PROJECTS

***Interstate 81 – Exit 14: Work is underway to reconstruct Interstate 81 exit 14 to better accommodate traffic volumes and to replace the north and southbound interstate 81 bridges at exit 14. The week of March 21, be alert to nighttime lane closures on Old Jonesboro Road due to water line installation. Also, be alert to nighttime lane closures on I-81 southbound due to milling, paving, travel lane restriping and installation of barrier wall due to the lane shift needed for bridge reconstruction. (Completion: fall 2018)

Interstate 81 – Exit 80: Bridge work at I-81 exit 80 in Wythe County will cause daytime and nighttime periodic lane closures. Also be alert to lane closures along Route 52, which is the route located off exit 80 that crosses over I-81. (Completion: April 2016)

Interstate 381 – overhead sign replacement project: Weather permitting, be alert to the possibility of day and nighttime lane closures along I-381 in Bristol due to the installation of new overhead signs.

***Interstate 77 – maintenance activities: This week, be alert to bridge deck sweeping north and southbound between exits 24 and 32 in Wythe County.

***Interstate 81 – maintenance activities: Be alert to the following maintenance activities requiring lane closures this week on I-81:

Bridge deck sweeping north and southbound near exit 72 in Wythe County; southbound near exit 45 in Smyth County; and southbound near mile markers 16 and 25 in the Abingdon area of Washington County.

PRIMARY HIGHWAYS AND HIGH TRAFFIC SECONDARY ROADS:

Bland County***Route 608 (Price Ridge Road Bridge):Due to replacement of the Route 608 (Price Ridge Road) bridge in Bland County, the bridge is closed until approximately May 4. The detour routes are Route 606 (Wilderness Road) and Route 607 (Burton Pond Road). (Completion: May 4, 2016)

Route 52 Bridge over Wolf Creek in Bland County: Traffic signals are controlling one 10-foot-wide lane across the Route 52 bridge over Wolf Creek in Bastian area due to bridge reconstruction. The speed limit has been reduced to 45 mph. (Completion: July 2016)

Buchanan County

Route 460 bridge replacement: Route 460 at the “Coke Oven Bridges” is reduced to one, 12-foot-wide-lane in each direction due to replacement of the westbound bridge. The speed limit in the work zone is 35mph. Use caution in this area and slow down for the safety of motorists and workers. (Completion: mid-August 2016)

Dickenson County

Route 604 (Aily Road): Be alert to work along Route 604 (Aily Road) in Dickenson County to replace a pipe with a box culvert. Motorists should use caution and watch for workers. (Completion: June 2016)

Route 637 (Rose Ridge): Due to a road widening project and installation of a roundabout near the entrance of Ridgeview School in Dickenson County, motorists should be alert to flaggers directing traffic along Route 637 (Rose Ridge) weekdays from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Additionally, motorists should be alert to the possibility of evening/nighttime work and weekend work. The road is open with no flagging operations weekdays from 7 a.m. until 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. to not impede school traffic. (Completion: Spring 2016)

Lee County

Water line installations: Lane closures are possible during daylight hours at the following locations due to water line installation work:

***Route 58 bridge repairs: Traffic signals are controlling one-way traffic along the Route 58 bridge over the Powell River between Stickleyville and Jonesville in Lee County due to bridge repairs. (Completion: April 2016)

Russell County

Business Route 19/Route 82 – signal replacement: Weather permitting, expect periodic delays Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the intersection of Business Route 19 and Route 82 in Lebanon due to replacement of the traffic signals. (Completion: March 2016)

Scott County

Route 614 (Yuma Road): Due to road widening and improvements along a section of Route 614 (Yuma Road) in Scott County, motorists should be alert to workers and heavy equipment along the roadway. (Completion: November 2016)

Water line installation: Motorists should be alert to the possibility of delays due to water line installation work along Routes 58 (Bristol Highway) and 615 (Federal Road), beginning at the intersection of Routes 58 and 803 (Stage Lane) and extending eastward to the intersection of Routes 58 and 617 (Shelleys Road). (Completion: Spring 2017)

Tazewell County

***Route 16 bridge over Maiden Spring Creek: Work to replace the bridge deck and repair portions of the Route 16 bridge over Maiden Spring Creek near the Thompson Valley area of Tazewell County is underway. Motorists should be alert to workers in the area during daylight hours. Traffic signals will be installed soon to control one-lane traffic across the bridge during construction. (Completion: November 1, 2016)

Route 696 (Big Branch Road) in Tazewell County: Be alert to the possibility of delays on Route 696 (Big Branch Road) in Tazewell County due to reconstruction of a one-mile section of the route, from the intersection with Route 102 to approximately one-mile west of Route 102. Tractor-trailers should avoid Route 696 and use Route 102 through downtown Pocahontas. (Completion: July 2016)

Washington County

Route 91 bridge replacement: One-way traffic is being controlled by signals across the Route 91 bridge over Norfolk and Southern Railroad in the Glade Spring area of Washington County due to replacement of the bridge. The travel lane is restricted to 11-feet-wide. Use caution in this area. (Completion: summer 2016)

Wise County

Route 613 (East Stone Gap Road): Motorists traveling on Route 613 (East Stone Gap Road) in Wise County should be alert to flaggers directing traffic during daylight hours due to a curve widening project. Be alert to blasting operations associated with the widening. (Completion: August 2016)

Water line projects: Be alert to lane closures during daylight hours due to water line installation work at various secondary routes in the Upper Exeter community in Wise County. (Completion: fall 2016)

Wythe County

Route 625 (Crawfish Road): Be alert to flaggers directing periodic lane closures on Route 625 (Crawfish Road) in Wythe County due to a bridge replacement project. (Completion: June 2016)

Route 619 (Saint Peters Road): Be alert to the possibility of lane closures and delays on Route 619 (Saint Peters Road) due to reconstruction and overlay of a 2.7 mile section of the route, from near the intersection with Route 21 in Speedwell to the intersection with Route 707. (Completion: November 2016)

Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.

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